The Ukrainian men's judo team is completing the final stage of preparation for the main sporting event of the season — the 2026 World Championships, hosted by the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. Ahead of the tournament's start, the head coach of the national team, Oleksandr Kosinov, summed up the intermediate results of the work and announced the official tasks set for the delegation.
Optimal squad and selection strategy
The Ukrainian national team will go to the world championship with maximum representation. According to the mentor, the final roster included nine athletes who met all the necessary qualification standards and confirmed their high status in the international arena. Kosinov emphasized that the selection process was as transparent and objective as possible, relying on the current rating indicators of the athletes.
Main goal and historical context
The main task of the team at the global forum in Baku is to win at least one award of any denomination. As Oleksandr Kosinov noted, this is his second full season at the head of the men's team, during which Ukrainian judokas consistently demonstrated high results at Grand Prix and Grand Slam tournaments, as well as at continental starts, where Anton Savitsky and Dilshot Khalmatov distinguished themselves.
Difficulties and expectations from the tournament
It is worth noting that Ukrainian male judokas have not risen to the podium of the World Championships since 2021, when Yakiv Khammo won a bronze medal in Budapest. Competition at the tournament in Baku promises to be extremely fierce due to the presence of powerful national teams from Japan, South Korea, and leading European schools, but the coaching staff and athletes maintain a fighting spirit.
